1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the exemplary embodiments relate to an image forming apparatus which forms an image on a recording medium with a developing agent, and a method of controlling the same, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus which has a structure in which a remaining developing agent on the transfer unit is cleaned by a cleaning blade and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus is a device which forms a visible image on a recording medium with a developing agent or ink and generally realized as a printer, a copy machine, a fax, a multifunctional device, etc. Here, in the case of forming an image using a developing agent, the image forming apparatus employs various methods to transfer a visible image by the developing agent to a recording medium. For example, a plurality of image carrying members to form a visible image are provided by colors, and visible images on the respective image carrying members are transferred in an overlapped state to a transfer unit, which is referred to as a single-pass method. Further, a single image carrying member is provided, and a process of transferring a visible image from the image carrying member to a transfer unit is sequentially conducted by colors, which is called a multi-pass method.
In the transfer unit of the image forming apparatus, a cleaning blade is installed to clean a remaining developing agent which is not transferred to a recording medium.
In a multi-pass image forming apparatus, a cycle of transferring a visible image from an image carrying member to a transfer unit is performed by colors. Thus, a cleaning blade is not in contact with the transfer unit while an intermediate transfer process is conducted, and cleans a remaining developing agent by contacting with the transfer unit when every color of visible images are intermediately transferred to the transfer unit and finally to a recording medium.
Unlike the multi-pass method, in a single-pass image forming apparatus, however, visible images by colors are intermediately transferred to a transfer unit during one cycle, and thus a cleaning blade always keeps in contact with the transfer unit.
However, in an image forming apparatus in which a transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer belt rotating in a certain direction, and a cleaning blade is provided to be in contact with the intermediate transfer belt, when the cleaning blade keeps in contact with the intermediate transfer belt, it may adhere delicately to the intermediate transfer belt while the image forming apparatus does not conduct a printing process. Alternatively, part of a contact portion of the cleaning blade may be rolled in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt.
If the transfer unit starts operating in this state, the cleaning blade may be bent in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt as the intermediate transfer belt rotates. Accordingly, the cleaning blade has trouble cleaning a remaining developing agent on the intermediate transfer belt, causing deterioration of the quality of image formed on a recording medium.